A Date to Remember

‘Hey, gorgeous! Wanna go out on the town tonight? ;)’

Zara’s nose wrinkled as she read the message from Naoki. It seemed so generic like it had been copied and pasted to dozens of others. Still, the only thing she had been doing for the past two hours was staring at a blank document on her computer, unable to find enough inspiration to write even the first sentence. With that in mind, she agreed. Who knows, maybe she’d be struck with a brilliant idea from it all.

Because it was freezing outside and she really wasn’t feeling the date, she dressed in her winter attire before heading to the Stargazer Lounge in Uptown.

“Hey, gorgeous!” Naoki greeted her with a tight hug that lasted a few seconds longer than it should have. “Glad you could make it.”

Zara nodded, “Thanks for inviting me out.”

His hand found her arm, lips twitching up into a half-smirk. “What have you been up to?”

“Writing. My dream is to be a best-selling author. It’s so hard, though!” As Zara talked enthusiastically about writing and the troubles that came along with it, Naoki’s face dropped and he stared at her blankly, tuning out her words.

He was feeling bored with the conversation, so he cut her off. “I’m gonna get some food.”

Zara frowned as he walked away, feeling annoyed by his rudeness. Had she been talking too much? She knew she tended to go overboard when it came to writing, but still, he could have said something instead of just walking away! She took a seat near the firepit, next to a handsome man wearing glasses.

Her eyes stayed on him a bit too long and he glanced over, catching her gaze. He smiled, waving at her. “Hello, beautiful.” It was the same as Naoki’s greeting, yet it was so different. It was genuine like he truly meant the words he said. With Naoki, it felt like it had been something he just recycled with no meaning behind it whatsoever.

Zara smiled at the man, thankful that the cold air had already highlighted her cheeks with pink. “Hello! Are you here alone?”

He nodded. “I live nearby and I like to frequent this lounge. It’s quite a beautiful place, and you can find many different types of people stopping by. How about you?”

“Ah, well…”

Before she could answer, Naoki took the empty seat on her right, now with a bowl of food. He still looked bored and made no attempt to talk to her. The handsome man followed her gaze and took notice of the uncomfortable expression she now bore. He nodded in understanding, climbing to his feet before extending his hand. He was offering her an escape from the awkward encounter, something she was quite thankful for.

Her cold hand slid into his and he pulled her to her feet before stepping a few feet away from the firepit, out of earshot of her date. “Thank you,” she breathed, catching his eyes.

He smiled charmingly. “You’re very welcome. Now, do tell me about yourself, beautiful.”

The words made her smile, stomach fluttering like she was a schoolgirl with a crush. She did as he asked, telling him about how she’s only been in the city for a few weeks, how she dreams of being a best selling author and the trials she has faced thus far. He nodded occasionally, hanging on her every word. He was actually interested in what she had to say and it felt wonderful.

Naoki, on the other hand, noticed how close the two were getting and he felt jealousy bubbling in his gut. Frowning, he decided to do something insane to get her attention. He started to strip his clothes off until he was stark naked, startling the other patrons.

She had noticed his antics from the corner of her eye and she knew he was prying for attention, for a reaction. As the other patrons of the lounge gawked and gasped, his smug smirk grew. She refused to give him the attention he craved, but she could tell the handsome man was feeling uncomfortable by the display. She did her best to keep his attention, but when Naoki realized what she was doing, he walked over to stand in front of her, demanding her gaze.

The man cleared his throat and excused himself to the bathroom. Naoki finally got her attention, but it wasn’t what he was hoping for. She glared at him before turning and walking away. She was having so much fun talking to the handsome man, but Naoki just had to ruin it after he clearly showed that he had no real interest in her.

She took a deep breath, allowing the music to flow into her body which started to move on its own, dancing to the beat. She felt the stress and tension slowly start to melt from her body as she fell farther into the beat.

Naoki came up beside her, now fully dressed as he started to dance with her.

“So, gorgeous – ”

She cut him off with a fierce glare. “Don’t call me that.”

His body stopped moving as he rubbed the back of his head. “Second chance?”

“No way,”

With a sigh, Naoki walked away, knowing he had been defeated.

She continued to dance, feeling happy as more people started to join her.

The handsome man soon returned and smiled at her, joining her as she danced. They continued their conversation and Zara found herself being reeled in farther by his deep voice. They spent the rest of the night dancing, Naoki a long forgotten memory.

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Author’s Note

I would like to give a shout out to Simple for giving me the encouragement to continue this story ^-^ Check out their Driftwood Legacy! It’s quite an interesting one~